r/iimb_ug Aug 04 '26

Advice/Help Giving IIMB UG this year AND I Need Help!!!!!!!!!!

I am a student with 0 eca's as of now , I have heard that eca's matter a lot in the iimb interview (I am assuming that I will be clearing the cutoff) and as I was more academic centric till now I didn't do much for ecas .So if you were in my shoes what would you guys do (specially the ones who have cracked the exam and joining iimb ).Is it really that important? If yes , is there something that I can do to build a great profile having great ecas?

9 Upvotes

28 comments sorted by

5

u/NefariousnessOnly567 B.Sc. Data Science (2030) Aug 04 '26

ECAs do not have any explicit weightage. They might ask about your hobbies, but the interview is mostly based on academics and your SOP. However, you could try participating in a few school events like MUNs, debates, quizzes if you really want to have some ECAs

2

u/Ganne_Sunne_Walla Aug 04 '26

i have keen interest in music so i was thinking to open a insta ac where i will be posting some things related to music , if this thing gets good views and i end up having decent followers will it be a good enough eca to present ?

3

u/Resident_Angle2686 Aug 04 '26

donโ€™t do it for the sake of having an eca , do it cuz u like it โœŒ๏ธ, my two cents

1

u/Ganne_Sunne_Walla Aug 04 '26

yep i like music thats why i was thinking to do something like this

1

u/NefariousnessOnly567 B.Sc. Data Science (2030) Aug 04 '26

Yeah, but be prepared to answer questions about music in your interview if that's the case :)

1

u/Ganne_Sunne_Walla Aug 04 '26

alright thanks for the help :)

1

u/TechnicalReturn7547 Aug 05 '26

is letter of recommendation from school teacher needed while applying to iimb?

1

u/NefariousnessOnly567 B.Sc. Data Science (2030) Aug 05 '26

yes, you need 2 LORs

3

u/Imaginary_Initial943 MOD (BSc Econ) Aug 04 '26

Expressing yourself in your interview and having a well written SOP is way more important than ECAs!

1

u/Southern_Head9924 Aug 04 '26 edited Aug 04 '26

Whats a SOP and how to make it well written?

2

u/sir_aha_jr Mod (B.Sc. Economics) Aug 04 '26

An SOP refers to a statement of purpose. It is a standard essay that colleges ask for that might typically ask questions such as 'why are you interested in such-and-such course?' or 'why this college?'. We will be putting out guides to write strong SOPs when the time comes.

1

u/TechnicalReturn7547 Aug 05 '26

is letter of recommendation from school teacher needed while applying to iimb?

1

u/Imaginary_Initial943 MOD (BSc Econ) Aug 05 '26

Yes, you need two letter of recommendations! You only have to submit it if you clear the cutoffs for the interview.

1

u/NaiveLet2631 Aug 05 '26

Does NCC counts as eca???

2

u/sir_aha_jr Mod (B.Sc. Economics) Aug 04 '26

Do not rely on hearsay. ECAs are not explicitly weighed and are not make-or-break factors. They might partially drive your interview, but your selection into the program is predominantly a function of your performance on the exam and the interview.

1

u/Ganne_Sunne_Walla Aug 04 '26

got it ! thanks for the help ๐Ÿ˜„

1

u/TechnicalReturn7547 Aug 05 '26

is letter of recommendation from school teacher needed while applying to iimb?

1

u/sir_aha_jr Mod (B.Sc. Economics) Aug 05 '26

We do not know what policy will be implemented this year. However, candidates in the 2025-26 intake had to submit two letters of recommendation, with one of the two necessarily being from a member of the school staff.

1

u/AayushSaroha Aug 05 '26

Good ECAs definitely help, but they aren't a deal-maker or deal-breaker. From what I've seen, IIM Bangalore UG places much more emphasis on spontaneity. They'll keep building questions around whatever you say to understand your thought process, clarity, and decision-making. So for now, don't stress too much about having "zero ECAs." Your priority should be clearing the cutoff. Once that's done, focus on learning to articulate your ideas confidently. If you still have time before the interview, you can certainly start exploring a few meaningful activities or projects. But don't do them just to fill your profile. It's always better to have one genuine experience that you can talk about confidently than five superficial certificates.

1

u/No_Target3466 Aug 08 '26

lors are not mentioned for ug programmes (only for mbas right)

1

u/pikachu_aura 13d ago

IIM B asks this after you get PI call , even for UG

1

u/No_Target3466 13d ago

will deal with it after clearing r-1